Blacklight Retribution coming April 3rd

While there are plenty of free-to-play MMOs out there, the FPS genre hasn't really taken to the whole free-to-play thing as quickly as I'd like. Quake Live was fun and all, but I've been wanting a slightly newer online FPS that didn't always degenerate into a mad scramble for the rocket launcher.

Blacklight Retribution, now slated for an April 3rd release date, might just be that free-to-play FPS. I'm really liking the somewhat abstract art style, reminiscent of Mirror's Edge; not all shooters have to be grungy, dust-splattered slogs through a nameless desert town. The tactical team aspect is also attractive--hopefully there will be a focus on command structure so it doesn't turn into a free for all. Check out this trailer for an idea of what the game is like.

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BLACKLIGHT RETRIBUTION RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED

Suit Up and Get Ready for Battle

(Foster City, CA) March 13, 2011 -- Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:PWRD) is pleased to announce today that its highly anticipated free-to-play first person shooter, Blacklight Retribution , is set to launch on April 3, 2012 in North America and Europe.

"After five successive months of closed and open beta testing, Blacklight Retribution has recruited a strong community of dedicated players that have provided valuable feedback for our development team to create a tight and polished free-to-play game with innovative and exciting features," said Andrew Brown, Executive Producer for Perfect World Entertainment. "Our team has been working really hard to prepare the game for its release, including additional content like new game modes, supporting maps, and a variety of new weapons and related gameplay enhancers."

Blacklight Retribution is one of the most graphically stunning online games featuring cutting edge visuals and expansive customization. The adrenaline pumping FPS offers a multiplayer experience with action-packed battles, futuristic maps, and a wide variety of weapons and gear. With endless customization options, players can customize everything about a weapon, from its barrel, to ammo types, stocks, muzzles, optics, colors and even weapon tags. Unique tools like the Hyper Reality Visor (HRV) allow gamers to see enemy locations, team movements, and primary objectives to jump right into the fight.